What counts as a WhatsApp marketing campaign
Meta separates service chats from promotions. A WhatsApp marketing campaign is business-initiated. Every send uses a template in the marketing category, and the audience is people who opted in. An agent answering an open support chat is not a campaign. A group blast and a bought phone list are not a campaign either.
That split matters because marketing messages are priced and quality-scored differently from order updates and one-time passwords. The channel itself is the WhatsApp API. The inbox your team replies from is WhatsApp messaging.
Opt-in comes first
A number collected for a delivery is not permission to send this week's offer. Opt-in is a checkbox that names WhatsApp, a keyword the customer sends, or a conversation they started — and even a conversation they started only covers the 24-hour window, not a weekly promotion. Store the source and the date. When someone says stop, suppress them on the next send. The rules are in WhatsApp and SMS opt-in.
Templates
Outside the 24-hour window, WhatsApp only delivers wording Meta has already approved. A marketing template is for offers, launches, and re-engagement. A utility template is for the order or appointment they already expect. Putting a discount in a utility template is a common rejection, and it is also how a number's quality rating falls.
Write the body with words on both sides of any variable, give Meta a realistic sample, and keep a working way to opt out. Detail is in WhatsApp message templates.
How to run a campaign
- Confirm the audience opted in, and drop anyone who opted out.
- Use a marketing template in Approved status. Arabic and English are separate templates.
- Segment. A cart reminder, a new arrival, and a lapsed-customer note are three campaigns, not one blast.
- Send from Best SMS Bulk. Meta charges the marketing rate for the recipient's country. Estimate it in WhatsApp Business API pricing.
- Staff the inbox. People reply, and those replies are the 24-hour window where an agent can answer in free text.
- Read the quality rating before the next send. Green can keep going. Yellow or red means pause and narrow the audience. See quality rating.
What not to do
- Do not upload a purchased list. Blocks and reports limit the number.
- Do not disguise a sale as a shipping update.
- Do not send from unofficial bulk tools. Those are the usual path to a ban. Use the Cloud API.
- Do not leave replies unanswered. A campaign that gets replies and no agent is how customers report the chat.
WhatsApp marketing by country
Use this page for the method. Use the local page for market setup, language, and the matching SMS route.
| Market | WhatsApp marketing | Also |
|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | WhatsApp marketing Lebanon | العربية |
| UAE | WhatsApp marketing UAE | SMS UAE |
| Saudi Arabia | WhatsApp marketing Saudi Arabia | Inbox |
| Qatar | WhatsApp marketing Qatar | Inbox |
| Kuwait | WhatsApp marketing Kuwait | Inbox |
| Jordan | WhatsApp marketing Jordan | Inbox |
| Iraq | WhatsApp marketing Iraq | Inbox |
| Egypt | WhatsApp marketing Egypt | العربية |
FAQ
What is WhatsApp marketing?
WhatsApp marketing is a business-initiated promotional message on the WhatsApp Business API. It uses an approved marketing template and goes only to people who opted in. A reply inside an open support chat is not a campaign.
Can I market on the free WhatsApp Business app?
The app has broadcast lists with a small contact cap and no team inbox. Campaigns at team scale, CRM triggers, and template approval for a shared number use the WhatsApp API.
What do I need before the first campaign?
A WhatsApp Business Account on the API, a marketing template Meta has approved, a stored opt-in for every recipient, and a way for people to stop. Then send from Best SMS Bulk and answer replies in the shared inbox.
Why do campaigns get limited?
Meta scores the number from blocks, reports, and opt-outs. A bought list, a utility template that reads like an ad, or too many promotions drop the quality rating and cut how many people you can reach.
Run the next campaign on the official API. Start a free trial or open WhatsApp messaging.